Indianapolis woman covers herself up in her closet to hide from intruders

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 14, 2015) -- An east side woman hides in a bedroom closet while, she says, at least two men break in to her home. The terrifying ordeal happened around noon Friday on Willow Glen Circle, which is near Mitthoeffer Road and East 25th Street.

"All I thought was 'when my kids come home they're going to see their mom dead'," said Tennille Starks.

For seven minutes, Starks thought she wouldn't survive the horrific events. But she did because she hid from the intruders in a closet.

"I ran, I heard them coming up the stairs, I ran through the clothes one leg was down and I took the dress and hid like this," said Starks as she described how she covered herself.

It all started late Friday morning. Starks was sitting at her computer when she heard a thump, then a second one followed by the unmistakable sound of glass breaking. It was her back door being broken by the brick still on the dining room floor.

"I just got up and did what my mind told me to do, to hide," she recalled.

Starks said she heard several people run up the stairs and go in to her bedroom just feet from where she was hiding. She said the intruders went through the dresser drawers and the closet where the clothes were covering her. The police report said the intruders stole her social security card, a bank card and money from her purse.

"Seven minutes of terror and I was terrified," Starks said. "I just thought my life was over."

By the time police arrived moments later, the intruders had already gotten away. Starks is alive because her instincts kicked in.

"It was the first time this ever happened to me. I knew to go hide because I didn't have nowhere else to go," Starks said.

Police say they spoke to someone who recalled seeing three suspects running from the scene and getting in to a tan car with a green fender. Starks isn't sure who did this, but if you know anything that could help investigators, take action and call Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).